It’s been more than a year since the pandemic began, and we continue to learn more about the short- and long-term health effects of COVID-19. Although most people get better within weeks, some people experience long COVID-19—a wide range of symptoms that can last weeks or months. In fact, a new study found that nearly a quarter of people who tested positive for COVID-19 sought medical treatment for new conditions at least 30 days postinfection. Long COVID-19 impacted men and women of all ages—including children—and even people who didn’t realize they had COVID-19 in the first place.
Post-COVID-19 conditions were more widespread in patients who had severe cases of COVID-19, but also in a substantial share of patients whose cases lacked symptoms. Based on the study, the following people developed long COVID-19:
- 50% of patients who were hospitalized
- 27.5% of patients who were symptomatic but not hospitalized
- 19% of patients who were asymptomatic
Check out common long-haul symptoms in the infographic below. If you’re experiencing conditions unusual for your health history, contact your doctor.
Photo by Haydn Golden on Unsplash